International Cub 154 Lo-Boy

[Torinodan]

New to me International Harvester Cub 154 Lo-Boy. Clutch died but it came with a new one in a box. Hadn't started it yet because to PO took some of it apart. Running wise it looks like a complete tractor minus the deck. It's a 3 speed 4 cylinder gas with I think a whopping 17 horse power. Rear tires are good, fronts not so much. The frame for the steering box is cracked and general rust and modifications (things being removed mostly). Good part is it has a 3 point lift minus the top link.
In time I'll get it running and start looking for parts. I see there are a few decks that were made for this so which were the more common so I start looking. Looks like a 1983 model according to serial number.
Anyone have a deck close to GA?

 

[mcfarmall]

Cool! IH fan myself.

 

[chim]

Brings back memories. A Cub 154 LoBoy was my first tractor back in '89 when we built here. Mine didn't have a 3-point hitch. It did have a 5' belly mower that worked very well. Back then I was doinog 2-1/4 acres and it took under 1-1/2 hours. It also had a heavy duty front blade. It had the same diamond pattern tires on the rear. It didn't have great traction on wet grass on slopes. In the snow, it wouldn't move without chains, but went like it had 4WD with chains on.

The mower was driven via a long belt that wrapped around that big pulley on the rear and down around the back of the tractor. There were two pulleys that directed the belt from vertical off the big pulley to horizontal so it could run under the tractor to the deck. IIRC, one pulley was an idler that was stationary and the other was spring-loaded to keep tension on the belt.

I ran it for probably two years with only one problem. That was the PTO clutch. Not sure where I found info on it at the time, because I wasn't net-friendly back then. I remember that there needed to be a certain amount of clearance and it was out of tolerance. Sort of remember using some thin washers to correct the issue and all was well.

I really wanted a 4WD tractor, so that and a couple things that were a pain resulted in our parting ways. The most bothersome thing was the way the belly mower and front blade were attached. It was an either/or blade or mower due to them sharing the rockshaft. We had a gravel driveway then and it needed an occasional dressing up. Swapping between the two was quite cumbersome. With the heavy steel bars and getting everything in position it's a wonder I never mashed or lost a finger. This convinced me that from then on I'd have something with a 3-point hitch. The exhaust was almost unbearable. Clothes and body needed washed after mowing. Coughed up junk the next day. Today I have tooling that would make rerouting the exhaust easy and perhaps eliminate that issue.

 

[Torinodan]

Well, took some of the tractor apart today to what was wrong with the clutch.
Found out what was wrong with the clutch. The clutch plate/flywheel was busted and the hole for the input shaft is elongated. My understanding is this is a cast part and was just another weak link of the tractor.
Someone let it wear out then they tried to weld it over the clamping portion. Not good.

 

[BXHoosier]

Check out Hamiltonbobs.com
They carry lots of parts for the 154.
I believe this may be the piece you need.

 

[Torinodan]

That is the part I need. Also need a new bolt too. So far it's promising and has good compression. Can't start it till I fix the tyranny hyd return line.